DCO orders stoppage of sand lifting along dyke

The DCO Hyderabad Aftab Ahmed Khatri has took serious notice of sand lifting from inside Guddu Flood Protection Bund and directed the officers concerned to get this illegal practice stopped and encroachments along with dyke removed so that its required strength could be ensured for protection of the people of Latifabad, Hussainabad, and vicinity.
The DCO Hyderabad along with Taluka Nazim Latifabad Engineer Sabir Hussain, Executive Engineer Phuleli Canal Aijaz Shaikh, Engineer Manzoor Leghari was inspecting 4.3 miles long Guddu dyke on Sunday with a view to adopt precautionary protective measures to meet any eventuality successfully during the current rainy/flood season.
The Taluka Nazim Latifabad Engineer Sabir Hussain pointed out that continuous lifting of sand from inside of the Bund and encroachment has weakened the Guddu dyke thus it has posed serious threat to the strength of Bund and lives and property of the citizens of Latifabad, Hussainabad and surrounding areas.
He said that due to lifting of sand from inside of the dyke the bed level of River Indus on its left side was going in depression as such pressure of river water is being continuously increasing on the Guddu dyke. He said that this practice could be dangerous in future if it was not stopped immediately.
The Executive Engineer Phuleli Canal Aijaz Shaikh and Irrigation Engineer Manzoor Leghari briefed the DCO Hyderabad and Taluka Nazim Latifabad about the embankment position and said that at present embankment was got strengthened enough with stone pitching at the level that even to sustain pressure of the flood water more than 700,000 to 800,000 cusecs. They said that in order to divert the pressure of heavy flow of the flooding water in Indus River, as many as seven spurs have been constructed on the left side of Indus River.
They were of the view that 4.3 mile long Guddu dyke was fully strengthened with stone pitching and there was no any single vulnerable area on the dyke. In addition to above, the large quantity of stone and Abkalani material has also been made available on the site to meet any eventuality.
They further added that the people of Latifabad, Hussainabad and other vicinity of Hyderabad City were safe. The DCO Hyderabad Aftab Ahmed Khatri while talking with the officers, said that though the Guddu dyke according to them was strengthened enough but at the same time taking of all precautionary measures and round-o-clock watching of embankment was very much essential to avoid any incident during the heavy rainy and flooding period.